Parrot Backpacks and Carriers

[Rue]

Just going off on a tangent from Michael's thread on converting a cat/small dog carrier to a parrot carrier, I was wondering what other people use.

I have tried a few now:

I have a homemade cage that the Amazon was shipped in. Very sturdy, but too heavy and hard to clean. I've kept it for emergency use.

I have the converted cat carrier, with a perch.

I have a Celltei 'Pack-O-Bird'. I love the way they look, but the birds don't like it very much...none of them. I think it's too hard for them to see out of. I also don't trust that they couldn't chew their way out in short order...

The best, although it's ugly, is the Avian Adventure backpack. It's essentially a smaller bird cage in a canvas covering. I tried to find a link, but I can't. I'm assuming they've gone out of business? The birds all like this cage. And I like that you can't accidentally open it - you have to take it off (your back), and open it from the back. Very safe.

[Michael]

I prefer to either go harness or hard carrier. The travel cages I like least. The hard carrier provides some cover and the harness allows for a fly off under panic circumstances. The travel cage provides non of the above. I suppose travel cages are only good for a mid-term stay in one location like taking the bird to a summer house for a week. But for regular transport I think the solid carrier provides more protection. The backpack things I think are just weird.

[Rue]

I like the backpack...very nice to take the birds on outings. Convenient, safe, etc. I've also taken the parrot places where I wouldn't have been able to had it not been in a 'cage'.

I tried the harness...not a success...so it's backpacking for our outings.

Not to mention, when you have to drive to get to a park, the bird should be in a carrier regardless. So the backpack makes sense.

[Michael]

The bird can get squished if in a pack like that (walking into things, falling down, other people, etc). I prefer hard carrier cause it offers solid protection or harness because it allows the bird to fend for itself and fly off to avoid getting hurt. Sorry, but I really see no place for a soft carrier.

[Rue]

Hm...the Celltei is soft, but not collapsable. At least mine isn't. The apparently defunct Avian Adventure backpack is an actual lightweight cage, so not collapsible at all.

There seems to be only one other on the market at the moment, the European Escape Backpack Carrier. That one I haven't seen in person.


http://www.parrotworld.net/European-Esc ... 112527.htm

I'm trying to find out why the AA isn't being made anymore, and don't seem to be able to. They were very popular. Hope it wasn't a safety issue of some sort. I can't see it, they are very well made.

[Michael]

Are you saying that (the backpack linked above) has a solid tube body on the inside? That if someone wearing it were to slip and fall back, that they wouldn't squish their bird?

[Rue]

No...that one I have no idea about. I just find it odd that it's the only 'other' one I can find on the market outside of the Celltei.

But Michael...you can't prevent any and all accidents from happening. And the odds of you falling so hard, flat on your back, that you kill your bird are probably less than the odds of the tether coming loose from the harness and the bird flying off...

From my experiences, I'd say a backpack is safer. From the bird's POV, they'd probably prefer the harness...now just explain to them that the harness will NOT kill them...

Okay...found an old picture of the AA backpack...this is the one that has a complete cage surrounded by a canvas pack...

[Rue]

Didn't know it was that easy to upload old photos.

This is the plywood shipping carrier my amazon came to me in.

Bird Transport Wood.jpg (50.63 KiB) Viewed 13549 times

[Michael]

I'm not saying just falling down. I'm talking about any accident that involves an impact on the soft carrier. It could be bumping into something, someone bumping into you, falling down, dropping the carrier, or any number of things that the soft carrier does not protect from but confines the parrot to.

Honestly, I don't see the point of using these soft carriers anyway.

[Rue]

Sure, it might not work for everyone. But we all live in slightly different conditions, so what works for one person, might not work for another.

...and the coverted cat carrier: